When contacts of a first connector are connected to corresponding contacts of a mating connector, for example, in a vehicle, contact points of the contacts tend to slide slightly. This sliding occurs because the contacts are caused to move by vibrations from the engine or the like, which causes the contact points to slide. This sliding causes abrasions that lead to poor contact between the contact points. In order to maintain a connection between the contacts, there has been proposed a technique in which an elastic body is formed on each of the female contacts, as shown, for example, in Japanese Patent Publication No. 7-296886. In this example, however, the length of the elastic body causes the length of the female contacts to become longer in a mating direction, which causes the entire connector to become longer.
In order to address the above problem, there has been proposed a technique in which an elastic pressing member is provided on each of the male contacts, as shown, for example, in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-196119. In this example, the elastic pressing member is formed at a base of the male contact. When the male contact is fitted into a corresponding female contact, the elastic pressing member is pressed by a tip of the corresponding female contact into which the male contact is fitted. This configuration enables interlocking movement of the male and female contacts and can reduce abrasion by slight sliding due to vibration while maintaining the conventional length of the male contact. In this example, however, abrasion is not prevented by sliding that occurs due to the expansion and/or retraction of the male and/or female contacts and/or the connectors due to temperature changes. Because a change in temperature will expand and/or retract the male and/or female contacts and/or the connectors, the elastic pressing members of the male contacts may not abut the tips of the corresponding female contacts such that interlocking of the male and female contacts may not be ensured.